Weiss is out again due to a sore groin. He won’t play Thursday at Tampa Bay and, in all likelihood, will miss more games given the uncertain nature of these injuries. He will undergo tests when the team returns home.

This is the third time this season Weiss has been idled by a groin issue. It happened in the preseason and again in mid-November, when he sat out six games.

“It was good for a little bit after (the last time); a little bit sore, but nothing crazy, then it went south here pretty quickly,” Weiss said. “I’m concerned; anytime you’re not in practice and able to skate, it’s not a good feeling. So I’m just going to see what the tests say.”

“It’s a bad feeling,” Weiss said. “You want to be out there with the guys, feeling good and 100 percent. When you’re not, it takes a toll on you, especially when things are going the way they have.

“But it’s part of sports. Sometimes these things happen and you got to deal with it the best you can and fix it and come back stronger.”

Weiss has gone 20 games without a goal, one short of his career-long drought in 2002-03, his rookie season. He has just four points (two goals, two assists) in 26 games.

He said he’s never experienced groin issues to this degree.

“I’ve had minor stuff, usually at the start of the season, kind of through training camp when it’s pretty high intense, but never anything at this point of the season,” Weiss said. “I don’t know why it’s happening. I’m trying to do what I can to prevent it. It’s not really working, so maybe there is something going on in there.”

Said coach Mike Babcock: “I just know it’s been affecting him, and now here we are.”

Babcock said Johan Franzen will move back to center. Beyond that, he hasn’t figured out his lines for the game against the Lightning (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).